Tufts Residence Hall | 401 Boston Avenue | Medford

stick n move

stick n move

Superstar
Joined
Oct 14, 2009
Messages
13,361
Reaction score
23,945

New Boston Avenue dorm approved by Community Development Board, construction to begin this spring​

IMG_5283.jpg


“The Medford Community Development Board approved Tufts’ proposed new dorm at 401 Boston Ave. on Feb. 5, allowing construction to begin this spring.

The dorm will be a two-building complex with 299 units, and will house almost 700upperclassmen when it is scheduled to open in 2027. The board expressed their reluctance to make the decision, recognizing the project’s strongpublic opposition, but focused the decision on whether existing legal restrictions were enough to deny the proposal.

Emily Hedeman, community development board chair, recognized the need for more student housing, but sternly addressed Tufts administration after the project was passed withfive affirming votes and one abstention……”

https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/...pment-board-construction-to-begin-this-spring

1742836599108.png

1742836630806.jpeg

1742836645635.jpeg

1742836660281.jpeg

1742836674963.jpeg

1742836690020.jpeg

1742836704370.jpeg

https://tufts.app.box.com/s/9s8v90hsg8dh4rwt103ebalpjbvnlw66
 
It really is quite a bulky set of buildings. Doesn't seem like the board was that happy to approve it either. Housing 700 more students is pretty impressive though, and combined with Davis Sq's 500 unit proposal, there could finally be some slight pricing alleviation in the area.

I think the concessions are fair - Boston Ave is quite arid/open since GLX. Just compare street view from 2017 vs today. Some trees will definitely be welcomed (if that's where they're going). Not sure how the MBTA will feel about that next to their new station and uphill of the Commuter Rail ROW, but once mature, these buildings' towering features from the neighborhoods in Medford will hopefully be reduced so that they sort of loom in the back just over the tree tops.
 
stefal said:
It really is quite a bulky set of buildings. Doesn't seem like the board was that happy to approve it either. Housing 700 more students is pretty impressive though, and combined with Davis Sq's 500 unit proposal, there could finally be some slight pricing alleviation in the area.

I think the concessions are fair - Boston Ave is quite arid/open since GLX. Just compare street view from 2017 vs today. Some trees will definitely be welcomed (if that's where they're going). Not sure how the MBTA will feel about that next to their new station and uphill of the Commuter Rail ROW, but once mature, these buildings' towering features from the neighborhoods in Medford will hopefully be reduced so that they sort of loom in the back just over the tree tops.
Click to expand...
Agree its very awkward massing, but we do need the housing. I was walking around the Tufts campus a few months ago. The historic parts in the center are very attractive. And some of the 60's and 70's buildings they made red brick and semi-contextual as well. It gets more generic as it fans out towards the public streets. Which is I guess why I never noticed it was attractive all these years living in the Boston area. I did notice there were several underutilized parking lots and low rise pod areas also. This new building strikes me as a wall, which continues the theme of separating from the community rather than opening up to it, as parts of the similarly historic and attractive Harvard Campus do around Harvard square. And there are several other lots they could have used. Anyway, at least it looks like nice, "real" materials and it does add some much needed density. And its not TOO MANY different facades.
 
Ground level does look pretty good and stone facade is nice.
 
00k00k said:
New render:
1748887110560.png
Click to expand...

If thats the newest iteration of the project then either the building materials were flipped between buildings so the tan facade is on the right building now, or the tan one on the left was also made brick. Kind of looks like they were flipped but cant tell from that render above alone.

1748886988829.jpeg



-Edit heres a version I found thats more zoomed out so you can see the second building. Its pretty hard to tell but kind of looks like the colors have switched, the tan on the right building is much darker, and where the glass windows were is now stone.
IMG_2752.jpeg

IMG_2753.jpeg

401-403 Boston Avenue Student Residence Facility | Capital Projects

capitalprojects.tufts.edu capitalprojects.tufts.edu
 
Last edited:
stick n move said:
Never mind, I found the presentation and slides, they made both buildings red brick. Looks better imo.

View attachment 63694
View attachment 63695
View attachment 63696
View attachment 63697
View attachment 63698
tufts.app.box.com

Tufts Community Meeting Presentation 4.10.25.pdf | Powered by Box

tufts.app.box.com tufts.app.box.com
Click to expand...
The site plan and context reminders me oddly of Roxbury Community College, now only if RCC would be able to leverage some of their holdings into a mixed use campus or incorporate student housing like this.
 
Three tower cranes… They really aren’t messing around on this project.
 
Where do they put all of the dirt they removed from the large hill that used to be here and other projects like it? I know in saugus theyre filling in an old quarry which is actually almost complete, but if not there where else would it go?

Id like to see that quarry in west roxbury get filled in. Surprisingly I read an article about that and I guess the neighbors even complained about that because they dont want the large trucks and dust, yet large trucks already have to go in there and theres already dust because its still an active quarry. Still Id like to see that site get redeveloped eventually.

Luckily the boston area isnt too scarred by quarries some cities like atlanta, richmond, columbia sc have ginormous gaping holes right next to their downtowns. If theres no quarries nearby where else do all of these large amounts of dirt go? Do they sell it? Too bad we cant do anymore land reclamation because thatd be a nice way to get rid of some of it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top